Animal feed composition including milk exchange material

ABSTRACT

An animal feed composition on the basis of a milk exchange material comprises, in addition to dry skimmed milk, animal and/or vegetable fats, emulsifying agent and nutrients an amount between 0.5 and 10 percent by weight relative to the total composition of a finely divided synthetic silicic acid. The addition prevents caking of the composition and improves the flow properties.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority ANIMAL FEED COMPOSITION INCLUDING MILKEXCHANGE MATERIAL 7 Claims, No Drawings US. Cl 99/2, 99/19, 99/56,99/200 Int. Cl A23k 1/00,

[50] FieldofSearch 99/2. 15, 19, 20, 56, 203, 202, 201, 200, 21,143,D10. 4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,113,216 4/1938 Mitchell99/15 UX 2,703,285 3/1955 Luther .1 99/2 2,995,447 8/1961 Cipolla et al99/19 Primary ExaminerNorman Yudkoff Assistant ExaminerHiram H.Bernstein Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: An animal feedcomposition on the basis of a milk exchange material comprises, inaddition to dry skimmed milk, animal and/or vegetable fats, emulsifyingagent and nutrients an amount between 0.5 and 10 percent by weightrelative to the total composition of a finely divided synthetic silicicacid.

The addition prevents caking of the composition and improves the flowproperties.

ANIMAL FEED COMPOSITION INCLUDING MILK EXCHANGE MATERIAL BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION The invention relates to an animal feed composition on thebasis of a milk exchange material which comprises dry skimmed milk,vegetable and/or animal fats, emulsifying agents and nutrients and, ifdesired, antioxidants.

The raising and fattening of calves in present-day agriculture is moreand more carried out with artificially made whole milk or by means ofnutrients which contain milk fat exchange material. These products serveas substitutes for whole milk and are made from a preparation of driedskimmed milk (in powder form), inexpensive animal and vegetable fats andusing additions of emulsifying agents and antioxidants. The resultingproducts, because of the high fat content of the milk exchange materialand the low absorptive powers of the skimmed milk powder, have atendency to cake. This is particularly conspicuous when the fats aresubject to hardening at low temperatures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention invention istherefore to avoid these shortcomings of animal feed compositions whichare made on the basis of milk exchange materials.

This is accomplished by including in the milk exchange material 0.5 topercent by weight of a finely divided synthetic silicic acid in additionto the dried skimmed'milk, the animal and/or vegetable fats, theemulsifying agent or agents, and the nutrients. The composition may alsoinclude antioxidants. The stated percentage relates to the weight of thetotal final product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The silicic acid may be addedto the final milk exchange composition or it may be added during themaking of the product.

In addition to an improvement of the powdered milk exchange product, thesilicic acid also effects a stabilizing of the emulsion which forms whenwater is stirred into the solid materials.

The term silicic acid as used herein is intended to include all active,finely divided either precipitated silicic acid formed in a wet processor pyrogenically obtained silicic acid.

The quality of the silicon dioxide employed is of material importance.It should be a powder with a primary particle size of less than 500 my,preferably between 3 and 40 my, and a surface between 50 and 500 m. /g.,preferably 150-200 mF/g. measured by the BET method (the term BET is aconventional abbreviation for designating surface measurement accordingto the procedure described by Brunauer, Emmet and Teller, J. Amer. Chem.Soc. 60, p. 309 1938).

Preferred is a precipitation-formed, spray-dried highly dispersedsilicic acid of superfine particle size having a BET surface between 50and 300 m."/g. and particularly preferably with a surface between 200and 250 mF/g. This is important because the formulations to which thepresent invention applies are of a high concentration, and the activeagents in view of their physical properties imply very high requirementsto be met by the carrier material. The significant features of theproduct of the invention must be a high absorptive property for liquidsof all kinds, a good compatibility with almost all kinds of material, aphysiological acceptability and good mixing properties with drymaterials.

The term highly dispersed silicic acid designates the physical nature orstate of a synthetically prepared silicic acid and is used in theconventional manner to designate a very finely divided free-flowingsynthetically silicic acid.

In order to obtain maximum flow properties, it is preferred to use aprecipitated silicic acid which has been reduced to a still lowerparticle size by an additional grinding operation. Secondary particlesize for instance may be between 0.5 and 5011.. This silicic acid isparticularly suited as an agent for moistening up the compositionbecause of its high pore volume and further to improve the storagestability at unusual climatic conditions.

It is also possible to use a pyrogenically obtained, highly dispersedsilicic acid which should have a BET surface between and 400 mF/g. and aprimary particle size between 5 and 20 mp. Pyrogenically obtained highlydispersed silicic acid is prepared by hydrolytic treatment of a siliconhalide for instance SiCl, in an oxyhydrogen flame.

The amount of silicic acid employed in the invention generally should bebetween I and 3 percent relative to the total volume of the feedcomposition. However, depending on the amount and consistency of the fatcontents of the fodder. it is possible also to use smaller or largeramounts of the filler. In specific cases the amount may therefore be inthe broad range between 0.5 and 10 percent.

The following example will further illustrate the invention.

EXAMPLE Five grams of a wet-precipitate spray-dried silicic acid havinga BET surface between and 200 m. /g. and a primary particle size between3 and 40 muwas placed into a mixing vessel. During continuing mixingoperation there were then added 495 g. of a milk exchange product aspresently described, and the total composition was subjected to mixingfor a period of 10 minutes. The milk exchange product comprised:

60 percent dry skimmed milk (in powdered form) 18 percent fat (beef fat,soy oil, palm oil and lecithin) 10 percent dry sweet whey (powdered) 5percent of a finely powdered soy meal 6 percent corn starch and 1percent balance.

There was thus obtained a free-flowing powder which had hardly anytendency for caking.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.

1. Animal feed composition on the basis of a milk exchange materialcomprising dry skimmed milk, animal or vegetable fats or both of thesefats, emulsifiers, nutrients, and 0.5 to 10 percent by weight of afinely divided synthetic silicic acid, the said percentage beingrelative to the weight of the total composition.

2. The feed composition of claim 1, wherein the silicic acid is awet-precipitated, highly dispersed silicic acid of superfine particlesize having a BET surface between 50 and 500 mF/g. and a primaryparticle size below 500 mu.

3. The feed composition of claim 1, wherein the silicic acid is awet-precipitated, spray-dried, highly dispersed silicic acid having aBET surface between 50 and 300 m. /g. and a secondary particle sizebetween 0.5 and 5011..

4. A feed composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the silicic acid isa pyrogenically obtained, highly dispersed silicic acid having a BETsurface between 100 and 400 mF/g. and a primary particle size between 5and 20 my.

5. A feed composition as defined in claim 1, which includes anantioxidant.

6. A feed composition as defined in claim 1 comprising 1 percent of theentire composition of finely divided synthetic silicic acid 60 percentdry skimmed milk (in powdered form) 18 percent fat (beef fat, soy oil,palm oil and lecithin) 10 percent dry sweet whey (powdered) 5 percent ofa finely powdered soy meal 6 percent corn starch and 1 percent balance.

7. A composition according to claim 1 in the form of an aqueous emulsionthereof.

* k i t

2. The feed composition of claim 1, wherein the silicic acid is awet-precipitated, highly dispersed silicic acid of superfine particlesize haVing a BET surface between 50 and 500 m.2/g. and a primaryparticle size below 500 m Mu .
 3. The feed composition of claim 1,wherein the silicic acid is a wet-precipitated, spray-dried, highlydispersed silicic acid having a BET surface between 50 and 300 m.2/g.and a secondary particle size between 0.5 and 50 Mu .
 4. A feedcomposition as defined in claim 1, wherein the silicic acid is apyrogenically obtained, highly dispersed silicic acid having a BETsurface between 100 and 400 m.2/g. and a primary particle size between 5and 20 m Mu .
 5. A feed composition as defined in claim 1, whichincludes an antioxidant.
 6. A feed composition as defined in claim 1comprising 1 percent of the entire composition of finely dividedsynthetic silicic acid 60 percent dry skimmed milk (in powdered form) 18percent fat (beef fat, soy oil, palm oil and lecithin) 10 percent drysweet whey (powdered) 5 percent of a finely powdered soy meal 6 percentcorn starch and 1 percent balance.
 7. A composition according to claim 1in the form of an aqueous emulsion thereof.